Police: San Francisco Killing Was Sparked By Baseball Rivalry

A general view of the field at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
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Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

A general view of the field at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants added another dark chapter to its history this week: Police said today that Wednesday night's stabbing death near San Francisco's AT&T Park was sparked by a baseball rivalry.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Police Chief Greg Suhr said two men — 18 and 21 — were arrested, accused of stabbing Jonathan Denver, a plumber's apprentice who traveled to San Francisco from Mendocino County for the game.

The paper adds:

"The trouble started as Denver and the other Dodgers fans left the bar and encountered the suspects, at least one of whom was wearing a Giants cap, Suhr said. The two groups exchanged words about the Giants-Dodgers rivalry, and the back and forth 'deteriorated into a fight,' the chief said.

"Denver died at San Francisco General Hospital. A second man was treated at the hospital after he was punched numerous times during the fight, police said. That man was later released."

"We are saddened by this senseless killing and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim's family," Bonnie Stow, Stow's sister, told the paper.

Update at 6:52 p.m. ET. Denver Was Son Of Dodgers Security Guard:

In a statement, the Los Angeles Dodgers say Denver was the son of one of the team's security guards.

"There is no rational explanation for this senseless act which resulted in Jonathan's death. The pain that this has caused his family and friends is unimaginable. Words are not enough to describe our sadness," the team said.